Yesterday I went to visit a friend in Hamilton, Ontario. We made a trip to to The Collective Arts Brewery.

Souvenir t-shirt I got at Collective Arts

My friend and I bought a flight each. My flight consisted of Their Collective Project IPA #1 and IPA #2, their pumpkin saison (which is no longer on their web site. Perhaps at the end of its run? I mean, it’s not exactly pumpkin season) and State of Mind. I also hears an interesting story about Stash from the locals. Having a “straight up” blonde ale was put into play due to the local market in Hamilton. When you think Hamilton beer you might think of those big-ass cans of Steeler or brands like Lakeport. I’m stereotyping here, but Hamiltonians are often blue-collar people who want a straight up beer to drink “like Canadian?” so Stash, though a lot more flavourful than Canadian, offers that.

Briefly, one pilsner I’ve been enjoying lately has been Collingwood’s Rockwood. When I first tried it I asked my LCBO clerk about it and he told me he was really picky and did not prefer it to Urquell. Personally, I like it over Urquell, though there’s a little bit of appley sweetness, which is a surprise. I could see this not being for every pilsner drinker, but I find it clean, smooth and definitely drinkable.

It has a commercial with a jingle that gets stuck in your head. It’s Brava, the beer of summah. The jingle is Caribbean, yet Brava is meant to be a discount “cerveza” or Latin beer, a competitor for Corona. I’ve never been a fan of Corona. I don’t like drinking a beer and having to use a piece of lime in order to make it not taste too sweet. I like that I can drink Brava without the lime, as it’s not too sweet. It has a refreshing taste and is good as an outdoor summer barbecue choice.

Brava is brewed by Lakeport, now owned by InBev, Labatt’s parent company. Lakeport was known as one of those “buck-a-beer” brewers a few years ago. Those brands are now more than a buck a beer, but they are among a large list of discount brands available at the Beer Store. These beers are not cheap out of the goodness of the hearts of mostly large brewers. they are generic, usually mass-produced and often not very good. They’re for people who want to drink beer and don’t care about quality. I’m not naming Brava one of the best beers ever, but for the money, I think it’s the best of the discount beers available on the market. I even prefer it over most mid-range domestic beers out there.